Broken
by Braelyn Rae
Summary: Set during 1x13. When Amber ran away she hitched a ride with the wrong guy. ONESHOT about Amber's breakdown from that night, with lots of comfort from mom. COMPLETE.


**Title: Broken**

**Summary: Set during 1x13. Amber ran away and hitched a ride with the wrong guy. ONESHOT about Amber's breakdown from that night, with lots of comfort from mom.  
**

**Rating: PG-13, just to be safe.  
**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely anything in regards to this show.**

**A/N: So, I only started watching this show yesterday, but I finished it right away and love it! So, enjoy!  
**

The rain splattered against the window violently as Amber sat at the counter, holding her coffee between her two palms, warming them from the cold night air. She glanced at the clock for the seventh time and sighed. She had only called her mother ten minutes ago; it would be a while before anyone would pick her up.

"Hon, you okay?" A waitress asked in a thick southern accent that seemed to suit the rundown diner she was in. She refilled the young girl's cup to the brim.

Amber nodded, not making eye contact. "F-fine." She shivered, still wet from the trip to the telephone outside.

The waitress, her name-tag reading Dorothy, snapped her gum so close to her face Amber could not help but flinch. "Ya sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She looked up as the woman walked away, leaving her alone again. She let out a long breath and nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She had gone over and over the speech she had prepared for her mom. Her mom was going to kill her and she didn't blame her. She had been stupid and she had paid for it.

Minutes passed in silence before some big, tough biker looking man moved from across the room to a stool next to her. Amber almost jumped out of her skin. Her heartbeat increased and she had to remind herself how to breathe.

"Hey, kid, you doin' okay?" His voice was gruff, and she could smell stale cigarettes on his breath.

"I'm fine." She responded, thinking she sounded like a broken record while wishing he would go away and leave her alone.

The man nodded, not taking his eyes off of her. "You got someone comin' fer ya?"

"Fine—I mean, yes, yeah, my mom should be here any minute." It was a lie, but she wasn't about to tell this stranger of a man that her mother would not be there for hours.

"Okay," he stood, slapping a twenty on the counter, and adjusted his hat. "Well, if fer some reason she don't, ask Dorothy to give me a call, I can take ya home."

She should have found his offer generous, kind, or maybe comforting but instead it sent a shiver down her spine. "T-thanks."

After what seemed like forever, Amber saw headlights approaching from the corner of her eye. She turned and saw her aunt and cousin's face, just staring. She swallowed. Well, there went that speech she had practiced…

* * *

**Two days later...**

"Amber? Sweetie? Have you seen my blow-dryer?" Sarah knocked on her daughter's door and entered before receiving an answer. "I can't fi-"

"MOM!" A high-pitched squeal escaped the teenaged girl, quickly pulling up her pants and wrapping her hands over her arms, as though trying to cover herself, despite wearing a tank top.

She chuckled, not bothering to turn away. "What? It's not like I haven't seen it all. Remember I gave birth to you."

Amber's eyes were wide, looking strangely like a deer caught in headlights. "You can't just barge in here whenever you want!" She snapped, her breath becoming slightly jagged. "You could at least knock!"

"I did," Sarah retorted with a smile and a giggle, "and then I entered."

The teenager did not seem to think it was funny. She stood still, not moving an inch. "Can you please go?"

Sarah looked at her daughter suspiciously, eyeing the now one hand that was covering her upper arm. "Whatcha got there?"

"Nothing." Amber responded all to quickly. "Nothing, it's nothing. Please, just... just go."

"Amber!" Sarah hollered, throwing her hands up in the air. "Did you get a tattoo? Seriously? You're fifteen! God! You're going to be stuck with one forever. Twenty years down the road you may—"

"Mom, it's not a tattoo, it's not anything!" Amber tried to defend, but her mother ignored her.

"—think gee, maybe I should have thought about this before permanently needling some guy's name on my arm." She stopped to catch her breath. "Let me see it."

"No, mom, it's nothing…" Amber scooted back, hitting her legs against her bed that prevented from going any further.

"Let me see it," Sarah continued, moving closer. She pried Amber's fingers away from her arm and gasped. Her eyes widened as they looked over Amber's forearm, where a blue and green bruise had formed in the shape of a handprint. There were five small cuts that she could see; they looked like someone had dug their fingernails into her flesh. Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but she made no sound.

Amber pulled away and rubbing her bruised area. "It's nothing, mom."

"That is not nothing!" Sarah seemed to find her voice. "That is not nothing, sweetie! What the hell happened? Who did this to you?"

Amber lower lip quivered ever so slightly and she blinked rapidly, holding back her threatening tears. "Mom," she pleaded with a cracked voice, letting herself fall onto her bed and curling up into a ball. "Mom, I'm so, so sorry."

"Oh baby," she softened up, her heart obviously breaking for her daughter. She kneeled down, caressing Amber's hair. "Whatever happened, this isn't your fault."

Amber's head shook as she spoke, her tears now spilling over and her sobs wracking her entire body. "Mom I'm sorry."

Sarah seemed to truly panic, the endless possibilities running through her head. She began to tear up as well as she begged her daughter: "Honey, sweetie, please, just tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"

The teenager could not talk. Her entire body shook as she cried.

"Amber?"

"Mom… I was… so scared…" She spoke between sobs and catching her breath. "I was so stupid!"

Sarah pulled her daughter into a hug, burying her face into Amber's. "Baby, please, tell me what happened?" Her eyes caught glimpse of the bruise yet again and she felt disgusted.

"I-I-I…" Amber stuttered, sitting up and wiping her mascara-tears aside. "When I ran away… when I hitchhiked… I… I knew it was stupid, I swear I did but… I was mad, I wasn't thinking straight."

"Shhhhhh, baby, its okay now…"

She sounded hysterical as she continued. "I got a ride from this trucker… he seemed nice at first… oh mom!" She broke of into a fit of sobs. "I'm sorry!"

Sarah's jaw tightened as she stared at the girl in front of her. "What did he do to you?"

**Flashback**

_"So, I'm just going to make a quick stop here, okay?" The man, introduced as Frank, said as he pulled his semi-truck over onto the dirt. "I'm hungry, how 'bout you? Want something to eat? I have a fridge in the back… stocked with sodas and candy bars, what do you say?"_

_Amber scooted back in her seat, brushing hair out of her eyes. "No thanks, I'm not hungry." _

_The man laughed, standing up. "You don't mind if I get somethin' to drink, do ya darlin'?" _

_She shook her head. _

_"Good, good…" He pushed a door beside her open and stepped into the cab area. _

_Amber glanced inside and spotted the fridge, as well as a microwave and bed. "Um, where did you say we were again?" She asked, glancing around the scenery that did not seem familiar. _

_"Thirty minutes away from any civilization," Frank chuckled again. _

_His laugh made her shiver and she began to feel uncomfortable. "Oh…" was all she said._

_She heard some kind of 'clinking' noise that made her turn her head around again, eyes widening as she saw him unbuckle his pants belt. She realized what was happening and quickly reached for the door handle, but it was locked. She was about to manually unlock when Frank grabbed her arm. She screamed out, feeling as though he had knocked her arm out of its socket. "Let me go!" _

_He laughed again. "Why would I do that?" He asked mockingly. "I've got a purdy young thing here, just waitin' for me."_

_Amber struggled against his hold, her breath becoming quick and her heart beating twice its normal beat. He responded by digging his fingernails into her, cracking every layer of skin she had. "Oww! Please, let me go!" She tried to push him away, but it was a weak attempt against his large frame. He pushed her against the dashboard, sending pain throughout her head. She felt for a moment she was about to lose consciousness, but she willed herself to stay awake. _

_"Didn't your mama ever teach you not to ride with strange men?" He grinned, flashing his yellow-stained teeth._

_He pulled her close, as though trying to kiss her, but she spat in his face. "Get off of me!" She screamed from the top of her lungs, punching him until he grabbed her other arm and held her in place. She tried to shake out of his grip, but the more she struggled the tighter it got. _

_"You're a fun one, aren't you?" He licked his lips, as if in anticipation. He wrapped his arm around her neck, guiding her towards his bed. _

_Every muscle in her body screamed in protest. She dug her nails into his arm as he pushed her forward, but he was cutting off her air supply and she did not have enough strength. They were feet away when she finally bit into his flesh deep enough for it to start bleeding. Frank screamed, and without thinking, let go of his grip. She had a second, that was it, a second to slip out of reach. She pulled the door shut behind her, slamming his outstretched hand in the doorframe. He screamed again. She held the door on his hand as she reached over to unlock the door. In one swift move, she let go, releasing him, and opened the car door._

_"Shit! Get back here you little-"_

_Amber tumbled out of the truck, skinning her knees. She let out a breath she did not realize she'd been holding. She heard him, seconds away from her. She scrambled to her feet and ran. _

**End of Flashback**_  
_

"I ran, mom, I ran. I stopped another car on the street and got a ride with them…" her shoulders shook as she shuddered at the thought. "Mom, I can still feel him on me! His breath, his hands…"

Sarah closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Oh my God, sweetie, I am so, so sorry." She pulled her daughter closer as they cried together. "Oh my God… are you okay?"

Amber nodded. "Yeah… I'm fine, mom."

"You sure? He didn't hurt you? He didn't touch you anywhere else?"

She shook her head. "No… I'm sorry, I know I was stupid…"

"Sweetie, this is not your fault!" Sarah said, grabbing her daughter's chin in the gentlest way possible so they looked eye-to-eye. "You have nothing to be sorry for. This is not your fault, do you hear me? Not your fault."

Amber's eyes filled with tears. "But-"

"No, no buts." She pulled away from the teenager, standing up. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Amber wailed, grabbing her mother's hand.

"I'm calling the police."

"Please, please don't! Not yet… please don't leave me alone!"

Sarah turned back to her and nodded understandingly. "Okay." She laid next to her on the bed, putting her arms around her once more and pulling her close. "I love you, sweetie."

Amber nodded, knowing it was all going to be okay. "I love you too, mom."

* * *

The end. Please review. :)


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